Rotherham United: Broadfoot and Kelly to stay with Millers

Paul Davis

Centre-half Broadfoot, aged 31, and right-back Kelly, 32, who were out of contract this summer, are committing themselves to the Millers for the next two years.

Talks have been going on for almost a month and the pair have yet to put pen to paper, but Stubbs says reaching agreements has been relatively smooth.

“It’s done,” Stubbs told The Star. “They have yet to come in and sign, but the deals are agreed.

“Negotiations have been pretty straightforward, to be honest. The players have have been away, which meant things took a bit longer. The talks have been positive and I was always hopeful.”

Both players were key men in Rotherham’s march to Championship survival last term and boast a wealth of experience in the second tier,

Stephen Kelly

Skipper Broadfoot, in particular, has been an inspirational figure and is hugely popular among supporters

“I’m delighted they’ve chosen to commit their futures to us,” Stubbs added. “I’m really looking forward to working with them and all the other players.”

Stubbs, who took over the hot-seat earlier this month, says the Millers are in talks with “a number” of clubs as he looks to begin his recruitment in his new role.

“A lot of work is going in behind the scenes that will hopefully pay off down the line,” he said. “Things will start picking up speed when clubs return for pre-season training.”

Alan Stubbs

Former Celtic striker Anthony Stokes was on Rotherham’s radar, but the 27-year-old opted to join Blackburn Rovers in a three-year deal.

“We only had an interest in him,” Stubbs said. “Financially, he was offered more at Blackburn and he chose that option. I wish him well.

“Yoo never have just one target and there are a number of other players we are pursuing.”

Rotherham will play two matches on their eight-day tour of Poland. They face Miedz Legnica on Tuesday July 12 and Gornik Zabrze on Friday July 15, with both games kicking off at 6pm Polish time (7pm GMT).

The matches will take place at Hotel Remes - which boasts a playing facility which can hold close to 1,000 spectators - where the Millers are based in Opalenica.